Rice
Crispy, Peanut Ice Cream, Chocolate Leaves, Condensed Milk CappuccinoBesides
being a delicious study in taste and texture, this recipe is perfect
for large dinner parties or dessert menus in need of extra inspiration.
Filled with separate elements that can be made ahead and then assembled
quickly for service, we're sure it will be a success in the kitchen
and on the table.

Tools you can't live without:Bread knife
Small off set spatula
Set of round and square cutter
A ruler and a wheel cutter
Sugar thermometer
Paring knife
Homemade template! (Such as the lid of a bucket, for example!)
Citrus grater
Bowl scraper

Three tips for dessert success:1. Try to surprise people by making everyday things
taste different.

2. The French have a saying: "Garder les pieds sur terre!"
It means, "keep your feet on the ground." In other
words, don't stray too far from the characteristics of the
ingredients you use. Enhance them, don't mask them.

3. Create menu items that you'll be able to eat and see all
the time, otherwise change them.

Favorite desserts:Dark chocolate, in any form, is my all time favorite.
Fresh ripe strawberries, with lime and crème fraîche.
Any kind of cooked fruit tart.

Mentors and Pastry Heroes:There is not really one pastry chef who
I admire more than any other. Any variety of people can stir
me to create a new dessert or formulate a technique. I seek
inspiration in critics and everyday activities. I look at
others' work objectively and am always open to new ideas.

Have a sheet pan ready with a silicon sheet or parchment
paper on it. In a small pot over low heat, combine the sugar,
water and glucose to make a caramel. (Don't walk away! When
it reaches a rich brown color, pull it off the heat immediately.)
Deglaze the caramel with the butter and mix in the puffed
rice. Pour the mix on your sheet pan and spread it gently.
Put the sheet pan in the oven for 5 minutes. Gently, with
a flat spatula, press the mix down to 3/16-inch thickness.
While the mix is still warm, cut into twelve 3-inch squares.
Reserve.

Make an ice water bath in a large bowl. In another large
bowl, combine the yolks and half of the sugar. Combine the
remaining ingredients in a medium pot and bring to 180°
F. Whisk half of the hot milk mixture into the yolks to temper
them. Then, add the tempered yolks to the rest of the hot
milk and bring it all back to 180° F. Pour into a clean
bowl and cool over the ice bath. Keep refrigerated for at
least 4 hours. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and
put it in the freezer to chill. Run the ice cream mixture
through an ice cream maker, according to manufacturers directions.
When the ice cream is ready, spread the soft ice cream on
the chilled sheet tray, until you have a layer of even thickness,
about 1/4 to1/2-inch. Place in freezer to set. Once the ice
cream has hardened, use a knife to cut it into twelve 2-1/2-inch
squares, and return to the freezer until service.

Chocolate leaves:

12 ounces/300 grams 72% chocolate

3 ounces/ 90 grams cocoa powder, for dusting before serving

Temper the chocolate. Place a sheet of parchment paper or
acetate on a clean work surface and spread a thin layer (approximately
1/16-inch) of chocolate over the entire thing. (You may need
to do more than one sheet's worth). Immediately pick the sheet
up by two diagonal corners and place it on an inverted sheet
pan (or it will harden and stick to the work surface ).
When it is almost set, use a chef's knife to cut it into 3-inch
squares (try not to cut the acetate or paper beneath). You
will need at least 24 pieces. Leave them on the paper to set
completely and store on the paper until you are ready to use
them. Do not refrigerate; store in a cool dark place.

Using a stand mixer, mix the fondant and butter until creamy.
Melt the chocolate over low heat in a double boiler. Add the
praline to the melted chocolate and combine. Then, add the
slightly cooled (not too hot, less than body temperature),
chocolate praline mixture to the fondant and continue to mix
until smooth. Separate 12 of the square chocolate leaves from
the parchment paper. Fill up a piping bag equipped with a
5-7 tip, and pipe little "balls" of ganache around
the edges of the "leaves". Refrigerate.

Condensed Milk Cappuccino:

3 cups/600 grams milk

1 cup/ 300 grams sweetened condensed milk

Combine milk and sweetened condensed milk. Hold warm before
serving and blend with a hand blender for a few minutes when
you start plating. Be sure to make enough foam for all of
the desserts.

Assembly:
Remove the ganache-trimmed squares from the refrigerator and
place them on a tray. Top each with a square of rice crispy.
Place a square of ice cream on top of that and then finish
with another chocolate leaf dusted with cocoa powder. Put
each stack on a plate and place the "cappuccino"
on the side. Enjoy!